Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsObnoxious bug
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2021
I'm a lifetime PC guy, but mac has proprietary design software that I need for work - so I did my research & decided the M1 was the solution.
I fire it up with glee & type in my internet password, but it won't work & I'm not really worried. I move on ahead & get my settings the way I want them, so I figured I typed in the WiFi password wrong so I go & take a picture off the router to try again - nothing.
Trying to pinpoint the issue I turn my phone into a hotspot & the mini connects to the internet. I'm somewhat relieved because now it seems my new computer is alright it must be something else. Implementing another test I plug in my Ethernet cable & yet again, the internet now works.
I have worked technical support jobs & have a decent troubleshooting ability so it seemed like an issue, but certainly not an insurmountable one - so I get to work trying to fix this WiFi issue (& somewhat of a Bluetooth issue as well - mouse/keyboard not reconnecting, after resets, without physically removing/reinserting them). I spend a few hours, which turn into a few days which turned into a few weeks & dozens of hours trying to fix this WiFi issue - nothing worked & the high hopes & excitement for this first mac of mine were converted into increasing frustration & disappointment instead.
Eventually, after exhausting all my options I developed a hypothesis that it was a hardware issue & that the M1 wasn't interfacing very well with my router (which I even considered replacing & some people do - this is a common experience). However, I didn't want to get stuck with a lemon in the event that was the reality of the situation (this is new tech & the bandwagons often have bumpy takeoffs) - so just to be safe I returned it.
I bought another elsewhere, fully expecting to have the same problem, & it connected to the WiFi first try & the bluetooth holds well.
So, I suppose it's a happy ending however given the primacy effect I don't see myself becoming an Apple fanboy anytime soon. How they decided this WiFi issue was acceptable, on a relatively massive scale - google it, when it seems like a pretty easy to fix befuddles me.
4 Stars because it's still an incredible machine & I think Apple Silicon is going to be on a whole new level in a few years, so I'm giving it a shot (although with the drive writing issue & possible short lifespan of its irreplaceable SSD - time will tell).
